Endgame
by makos-lightningrod
Summary: After Lin and Tenzin realize the stakes of the Equalist Movement, they devise a plan to infiltrate when Amon and his army decides to strike. Mako and Korra venture into the underground camps where Korra comes face-to-face with her greatest fear.


"Don't they have other sizes?" asked Bolin as he fought to pull on the pair of pants. He stuck his foot into one leg and tried as he might to pull it up. He scowled when it ripped. "Damn my muscles."

"That was the biggest size we could find. But it's all right. In all the commotion, we'll need you at the ready," Lin said as she checked the metal ropes in her pack. She reached down for one of the Equalist outfits that she'd managed to take from headquarters. If Tarrlok could do it, so could she.

Without missing a beat, Korra came through the door and the bundle of clothes were thrown to her. "Get dressed. We move in an hour."

The Avatar's eyes widened a bit as she caught them. She looked down and realized that it had been dressing the people who were against her. She turned away and retreated into the hallway for a private room to change.

Mako was sliding on a jacket and then pulling the darker scarf around his neck. He bent down beside Bolin's leg and quickly stitched up the rip so it wouldn't be too noticeable.

Asami covered her mouth as she giggled at her homemaker boyfriend, but then Korra was back in their room and scowling. "I don't understand why we have to sneak in. We're the good guys. We should just burst in and teach them a lesson."

Lin gave her a look and sighed. "I admit that brute force would be a nice change of pace, but this is serious. The fact that Amon was the one to save Korra and then try to capture her makes things worse for us. We have to work from the inside."

Korra gazed at herself in the mirror and turned around to get a good look at herself. She had to take most of her clothes off to get it to fit, but once it came on, she barely felt like it was there. Maybe that was why they were so agile. She sighed and pulled herself away, going back to the larger room to meet with Tenzin.

Mako quickly followed after her, Asami and Bolin exchanging looks before hurrying after the firebender. "Korra, maybe you should stay back a bit. Let Lin, Tenzin, and I really take the lead." And take the brunt of the attack.

They had already lost her once, and seeing the scar faded across her cheek still sent a flash of rage through him. He'd much rather keep her safe in this room than anywhere near the Equalists, but he knew he couldn't even suggest that.

Korra turned to look at him and frowned. "You know I'm not going to do that. Even if you asked." She paused for a moment and remembered the first few moments the two of them had seen each other again. She still remembered the way his hand ran down her cheek and brushed her hair away.

Now was not the time to think about that.

"This is what I need to do. And I think you know that. I know you know that, Mako." They shared a meaningful look before she turned to Tenzin and Lin.

"Just don't do something stupid," he shot back, even though he was the stupid one because he was arguing with the Avatar. And she could definitely kick his ass.

Bolin piped up, "Yeah, we're here to, you know! To like, keep you safe and fight crime and-and just make sure you have backup!" He believed Korra was good enough to kick all the Equalists' butts single handedly.

Korra looked at Bolin and gave him a smile. "I couldn't think of anyone else I'd want to do this with," she told him and caught sight of Asami from the corner of her eye. She pressed her lips together.

Lin cleared her throat. "Well, we all know the plan. We'll infiltrate the Equalists headquarters and dismantle it down. We'll try to gather later, but right now, we need to get in there before Amon does something deadly."

Lin explained where each of them would enter headquarters before instructing, "Bolin you stay with Asami and cover her, Mako and Korra, I'll be with Tenzin." Her eyes flashed to the airbender before she turned her back without caring if they had a problem with her pronouncements.

Bolin wouldn't argue with Korra if she wanted to do something stupid and dangerous, while Mako was definitely more cautious. She couldn't have Korra being hotheaded during such a delicate mission.

Korra looked over at Mako and nodded before pulling the mask on. It felt like she was suffocating but she relaxed and breathed slowly. The six of them filed out and went through the tunnel Lin had sensed in the edge of town where they would separate at the right times.

They were quiet as they made their way deeper underground until met with the different tunnels mouths leading the the hideout. "Come on, Mako muttered as he looked over at Korra and avoided Asami's eyes.

He just started walking, alert for any unusual sounds and thinking ab out the way Asami had attacked him the night Korra had escaped on Naga's back. Her accusations still rang in his ears.

Korra walked beside Mako and pressed her lips together. She was glad he couldn't see her. She wouldn't tell him, but she had heard the argument from the night before. She felt horrible about it, but this was a bad time.

After ten minutes of walking, they found one of the vents that led up. She saw a few feet step over the grate. She jumped up and hung onto it, trying to see if there were others around.

Mako grabbed on beside her and pulled himself up easily before sliding into the vent and pulling her up after him. "I'll go first," he whispered as he went through and didn't wait for her to argue.

She glared at him through her goggles and made a noise of contempt before following after him. She didn't need him to do this for her. So she sprinted past him. This wasn't the time to rebel, but she couldn't help it.

He raced after her and grabbed her arm, shoving her against the wall just as a bunch of Equalists walked past the hallway they were about to enter. "Don't," he hissed, his eyes glowing bright amber behind his goggles. "Just don't run off, please."

Her eyes widened as she felt her back hit the metal wall. She took a breath when she saw the Equalists passing by. She relaxed. "Sorry," she said faintly as he let her go. For a moment, they stood there, but then turned to walk out, going in the opposite direction.

He followed her without a word, just letting her decide where they went, and it was better this way. He couldn't touch her anymore, even through all of their clothes because he felt the sparks fly through his veins that way.

"We should go for Amon," she said quickly, nodding to some Equalists that had passed them by. She knew it wasn't part of the plan, but it was the best bet for them to finish this as quickly as possible.

"That's not what we're doing here," He growled as he grabbed her arm in case she ran off again. "We're supposed to be covering this side of the headquarters looking for a way to make the supplies they have packed down here disappear."

Korra glanced at him and sighed. "We're just waiting here like sitting turtleducks, Mako. I-I know you're worried about me doing something stupid, but you need to trust me." She exhaled. "You trust me don't you?"

"I trust you, but not about this," he whispered as he shoved his goggles on the top of his head so he could look at her truly. "You're too invested in this. You aren't thinking straight. You want revenge. And this isn't about revenge, Korra. This is about saving people, non-benders and benders alike."

She stood there for a moment and let his words sink in. "You're right," she said softly. "I-I know, Mako. But…I'm the Avatar. It isn't about revenge. Amon's capable of more than you think."

At that moment, an Equalist appeared and noticed them. "Hey. What's the hold up here?"

"Nothing," Mako told him gruffly as he pulled his goggles down and grabbed Korra's arm to lead her the way she wanted to go. He trusted her. He would always trust her.

"Hey, hold on a minute-" He came after them and grabbed Korra by the arm.

There was no one around, and Mako didn't waste time in trying to bluff their way out of this. He slammed his fist into the Equalist's face and let him crumple to the ground before he dragged him towards and manhole in the ground. He pulled the incapacitated body down the hole and covered it back without looking once at Korra. "Let's go."

Korra stared at him as he easily delivered a punch to the Equalist. She nodded silently and followed after him, looking around at the enormous space. She could see the mechas that Amon was building, the ones that she was sure they could beat if they fought hard.

The Lieutenant was coming out of a door and Mako jerked his head in that direction. This was the most likely place that Amon was, and he was letting her take the lead.

She was surprised that he suddenly did so. She sprinted quickly and caught the door before it shut, opening it so that she and Mako slipped in. She wasn't expecting to see other Equalists there. Just as she was about to do something, an alarm went off, signaling the entrance of intruders. Her eyes widened. The others.

Mako had slipped into the door behind her, letting it shut without thinking. He reached behind him for the handle just as the alarm went off and he didn't think about it, just grabbed Korra's arm and shoved her behind him, shielding her with his body and looking around the room for signs of danger.

"Mako-" She started before the Equalists heard her. "-forget this," she muttered, pulling her mask off. She leapt over his shoulders and started shooting several streams of fire to clear the path. She looked over her shoulder, hoping to see Mako following after her.

He did the same, fire leaping in his palm before he was clearing his way through the bodies that tried to attack. He dodged their fists that were hitting for his chi points.

"We need to find the others!" she shouted to him just as they neared a lit doorway. She pushed her way through, panting as the warmth of the building grew. Her eyes widened when she saw the ships in the bay and the airplanes dropping bombs. "Spirits-"

And then their bodies collapsed, their limbs jerking at odds angles before Mako let out a groan of pain. He gasped and tried to reach for Korra, but his body wouldn't obey him.

"Avatar," Amon appeared out of the shadows, his voice low. "So nice to see you."

She felt the sudden freeze of her blood and her knees slamming against the concrete. She gasped softly and looked over at Mako. She tried to look at Amon, but gasped as she felt her lungs constrict. "A-Amon-"

He chuckled. "Did you really think you could come in here without me knowing? I pegged you smarter than that."

"And for being so against bending," Mako growled at him, trying to loosen the hold the man had on his body but there was no way to stop it. "I didn't expect for you to be a bloodbender."

Amon ignored him and walked toward Korra, moving her so that all she could see was the sky. Her heart dropped when she saw the planes flying overhead and the smoke rising. Her eyes burned. "I warned you, Avatar. I may have saved you before, but that time has come to an end."

Her pulse raised as she heard his steps toward her and suddenly, his hand was at her neck, digging his fingers into her skin.

But with his attention focused on Korra, Amon had loosened his hold on Mako, who was flying across the room to rip the man off the Avatar and throwing him to the ground where streams of fire followed the punches he threw at the Equalist.

She gasped, bearing her hands against the ground as she fought to breathe. She turned to look at Mako and was about to jump in before Amon deftly hit Mako in the legs. She watched as he fell forward and his head hitting the ground just as hers did. "Mako!"

Just as easily as the escaped, she felt herself coming back into the past position, kneeling at Amon's feet now. "Enough of this game. The era of bending ends with you."

She let out a scream as she felt his thumb press against her forehead.

"_Korra!_"

Mako could feel reality losing him, the darkness creeping over his vision before all he saw was a flare of light before he passed out on the ground.

She snatched Amon's wrist and twisted it, yielding him to the ground. A gust of wind rushed around her as she lost all semblance of who she was before. Her blood rushed through her veins as she met Amon's eyes through his mask. "You have disturbed this world and its peace and for that, you must pay the price."

Her finger was against his forehead and she felt the power rushing through her veins. She knew how Aang had accomplished the peace for the 100 Year War, she knew how to stop this cycle of terror. But would taking away Amon's bending do anything to stop him? Or would she be forced to take his life and be just like all the benders who had killed because they could?

"There are more. You will not escape your own fate, Avatar," he breathed with a rasp. He didn't even sound afraid. "If you stop me, others will come for you. I'm the first line of defense."

And then she heard his voice on the air, brushing her fears aside, "_Do what you must_." Korra knew Aang would never have killed another person, even one as horrible as Amon, but she wasn't Aang, she wasn't any of her past lives, and all it mattered was how Avatar **_Korra_** would deal with her enemies.

Korra stood there for what seemed like so long. Amon clearly saw that he had an opening and tried to chi-block her arm, but she was swift. She snatched his arm and moved him. "No more shall you be one to interfere with the balance of Republic City." She pressed her thumb to his head and her eyes flashed.

Without hesitation, she pulled away and hit him in his neck, demobilizing him.

Korra stumbled and fell onto the ground, gripping it uselessly. The world spun in her eyes before she focused on Mako. "M-Mako," she breathed, inching over to him. Her body was so weak and she had no idea how she had chi-blocked Amon, but it had happened.

She turned Mako over on his back and wiped her brow. "Mako-" she whispered, shaking his shoulders. She saw the blood that ran down from his forehead that gathered in a puddle where his head was. "Come on, Mako-" She began to panic. She had no idea what the extent of Amon's bloodbending had gone with him.

Despite being exhausted and drained, she summoned some water from the bay and pressed her hands against his head, trying to heal any kind of internal injury he had. "Wake up," she croaked, watching for any movement.

Korra stumbled and fell onto the ground, gripping it uselessly. The world spun in her eyes before she focused on Mako. "M-Mako," she breathed, inching over to him. Her body was so weak and she had no idea how she had chi-blocked Amon, but it had happened.

She turned Mako over on his back and wiped her brow. "Mako-" she whispered, shaking his shoulders. She saw the blood that ran down from his forehead that gathered in a puddle where his head was. "Come on, Mako-" She began to panic. She had no idea what the extent of Amon's bloodbending had gone with him.

Despite being exhausted and drained, she summoned some water from the bay and pressed her hands against his head, trying to heal any kind of internal injury he had. "Wake up," she croaked, watching for any movement.

He could hear her and he tried desperately to push away the film covering his eyes and tried to push away the buzzing in his head. "Korra," he whispered as his eyes slid half-open and he tried to find her in the darkness. "Korra are you-okay?"

She pressed her lips together in a fit to keep herself from hitting him. "You idiot," she whispered, drawing her hands away from his head. "You talk about me not being reckless, but then you go and do that."

"He was going to kill you," he whispered before he tried to sit up and then just sank back down and coughed, his head pounding harder. "I couldn't-You're the important one, Korra."

She smiled faintly at him and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a calling voice. "Korra! Mako!" shouted Bolin from a distance. The two of them turned to see Bolin and Lin running toward them.

Mako winced and laid back down before letting his brother worry over him. Lin and Tenzin both went to Amon, tying him up and keeping watch before Asami's large green eyes filled his vision. The worry in them almost made him regret what he had done, but then he heard Korra's voice, explaining what had happened and he couldn't bring up any emotion but relief. She was safe.

She watched as Mako stood up with the help of his brother. She went to stand up and felt like something was hitting her over the head. Her eyes fluttered shut before she fell back, darkness engulfing her consciousness.


End file.
